1 In December 1860, America became a "house divided." It began when South Carolina seceded from the Union. By February of 1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas had joined South Carolina in secession. These seven states met to form an interim government. They also chose their first (and only) president, Jefferson Davis.2 Although they attempted to find a peaceful solution to the division, the attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina ended all hopes for peace. Shortly after the attack, four more states seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. They were Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas.3 During the time when hopes for peace were alive, the Confederacy held a constitutional convention. Delegates from the first seven states to secede met in Montgomery, Alabama, to lay out a plan for a permanent government. They used the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights as a guide. In addition, they reviewed the Articles of Confederation - a document that had created a weak central government for the original thirteen colonies. The Confederacy drafted, approved, and sent the constitution for ratification by mid-March. This document highlighted the major dividing issues between the North and the South - state's rights and slavery. The constitution also changed the office of president. With a permanent government in place, the Confederacy moved its capital to Richmond, Virginia.